Over a 30-year association with historic buildings, David has been responsible for the repair and refurbishment of churches, museums and art galleries, as well as various industrial archaeological buildings, including more than 20 wind and water mills.
He has become expert at dealing with fire damage, notably at the 18th Century Assembly Rooms in Norwich and at Buxton Watermill, Norfolk. He considers this work highly stimulating and enjoyable because of the need for urgent action which calls on his experience of organising immediate protection and salvage measures.
In parallel with his long association with the National Trust - looking after many of its buildings for the past 20 years - David has gained 15 years’ experience of healthcare projects, from maternity to oncology; he has also designed and built the Rocket House, a lifeboat museum at Cromer.
David is responsible for developing the practice’s environmental policy and been involved in the construction of a number of ecologically-sound buildings using sustainable energy-saving features such as ‘green’ roofs.
He is pragmatic in his approach to conservation, believing that though it is important to repair sensitively, the overall beauty of the building is paramount. A quality building should, he believes, be a pleasure to work or live in, should meet all its functional requirements and, if possible, be delightful to look at.
‘Humour is a good way of diffusing complicated and stressful situations and building is a stressful situation for most people’.